© 2008 European Society of Cardiology
Recovery from peripartum cardiomyopathy after treatment with bromocriptine
a Department of Cardiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum Berlin, Germany
b Department of Radiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité-Mitte Berlin, Germany
c Department of Obstetrics, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum Berlin, Germany
* Corresponding author. Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum Department of Cardiology Subdepartment Intensive Care Unit Augustenburger Platz 1 D 13353 Berlin, Germany. Tel.: +49 30 450653625; fax: +49 30 450553915. E-mail address: dirk.habedank{at}charite.de (D. Habedank).
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Abstract |
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Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a potentially devastating cause of heart failure that affects women late in pregnancy or in early puerperium. Recent findings showed that a 16 kDa fragment of prolactin may induce myocardial damage, and this offered a new option of treating PPCM by blocking prolactin with bromocriptine. We report on a 35-year-old woman with a twin gravidity who gave birth to two healthy boys at day 36/6 and developed a potentially fatal PPCM. Within 3 days since delivery she suffered from severe symptoms of heart failure (orthopnoea, pleural and pericardial effusion, reduced systolic function LVEF 15%). Bromocriptine 2.5 mg bid was added to standard heart failure therapy at day 6 after delivery, and within a week the patient recovered to NYHA functional class II. 2 months later she presented in a good state, NYHA class I, and MRI confirmed an LVEF of 60%. Balancing the potential side effects of bromocriptine against the very poor prognosis in severe PPCM our case supports the use of bromocriptine as a specific novel therapy.
Key Words: Peripartum • Cardiomyopathy • Bromocriptine
Received March 22, 2008; Revised June 18, 2008; Accepted September 8, 2008